Shaw Snaps Fayetteville State’s Four-Year Reign, Captures CIAA Women’s Tennis Championship

PETERSBURG, VA - The Shaw University Lady Bears snapped Fayetteville State University’s four-year reign over the CIAA women’s tennis league as the Lady Bears earned a four-point victory over the Lady Broncos to capture the 2006 CIAA Women’s Tennis Championships from the campus of Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA.

The Lady Bears and Lady Broncos met in all three championship matches in doubles action on Wednesday and met in all six singles championships on Sunday in a rain-extended championship that stretched over five days of play.

SU won five of the six singles match championships in the tournament to squeak out the title with 55 points to runner-up Fayetteville State's 51 points.  FSU won the regular season dual match between the two tennis powers 5-4.

Tournament MVP Ffion Fletcher of Shaw extended her two-year win streak to 44 matches, winning the #1 singles championship over FSU's Ines Nieves 6-7, 6-2, 6-2.

The Lady Bears, who held the slimmest of leads after doubles play, built on their one-point lead to capture the title.

Virginia Union (38 points), Virginia State (35 points) and North Carolina Central University (32 points) rounded out the top five finishers.

Championship Singles Match Results:
#1 - Fletcher (SU) def. Nieves (FS)     6-7, 6-2, 6-2
#2 - Hall (SU) def. Lee (FS) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
#3 - Enebechi (SU) def. Artis (FS) 7-5, 6-0
#4 - Lawson (SU) def. Watson (FS) 6-3, 6-3
#5 - Thompson (SU) def. Sanchez (FS) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
#6 - Bennett (FS) def. Oyelade (SU) 6-1, 6-1

Final Team Results:
1.         Shaw-55
2.         Fayetteville St.-51
3.         Virginia Union-38
4.         Virginia St.-35
5.         N.C. Central-32
6.         J.C. Smith-30
7.         Livingstone-26
8.         Bowie St.-11